Beckman leaves Toledo after three years as the Rockets’ head coach and will replace Ron Zook, who “parted ways” with the Illini Nov. 27 after heading the football program for seven years.

“I am very excited to introduce Tim Beckman as the new head football coach at the University of Illinois,” athletic director Mike Thomas said in a statement released prior to Beckman’s press conference. “He brings an impressive resume to Illinois and is highly regarded within the entire coaching community. Coach Beckman sold me on his vision for Illinois football throughout the interview process. He is a proven recruiter, has worked alongside some of the nation’s top coaches, will have high standards for academic and athletic success, and is a great fit for the Fighting Illini.”

“I certainly want to thank Mike Thomas, Chancellor Wise and President Hogan for this outstanding opportunity at the University of Illinois,” Beckman said. “We will work tirelessly in building the football program to compete for Big Ten and national championships, and be a source of pride for Fighting Illini fans across the nation. We will recruit the very best student-athletes to represent the University and will work extremely hard to develop strong relationships within the state of Illinois.”

In addition to his time at Toledo, Beckman served as a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State (2007-08) and Bowling Green (1998-04) as well as a stint Ohio State’s cornerbacks coach (2005-06).

This is probably the best hire Illinois has made since Bob Zuppke. If anybody can get it turned around, Beckman can. We’ll miss him in Toledo, but we also miss our other lost coaches like Gary Pinkel and Nick Saban.